


What A Man Gotta Do

by the_only_education_worth_having



Series: Advent Calendar of Fics [14]
Category: New Girl (TV 2011)
Genre: Anniversary, Anxiety, F/M, Fluff, Mentioned Sexual Contact, New Relationship, Songfic, admitting feelings, demonstrations of love, doubts, gestures of love, the Loft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27955706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_only_education_worth_having/pseuds/the_only_education_worth_having
Summary: What a man gotta do? What a man gotta prove? To be totally locked up by you.
Relationships: Cece Parekh/Schmidt (New Girl)
Series: Advent Calendar of Fics [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042707
Kudos: 3





	What A Man Gotta Do

**Author's Note:**

> What a man gotta do? - Jonas Brothers

Schmidt paced back and forth. He had never done anything like this before. Elizabeth had never expected him to be anything but himself and he had only had meaningless flings since her so he had never put that much effort in. But Cece. Cece was different. They had started things as a fling. He had loved the sneaking around and the hot sex. Yet now, now he loved her. And she loved him too he was sure. 

Over the past few weeks, she seemed to take umbrage at just being a booty call. When he suggested they hook up she seemed to want more. They now texted about their day instead of just arranging to meet up. They had had breakfast together more than once, though out of the loft so no one found out. So he had taken the leap. It was their six month anniversary and he was going to ask her to be his actual girlfriend. He had taken the day off of work and then let himself into her apartment using the key he had stolen from Jess’s purse. He knew her roommates were away at some work retreat so they had the whole place to themselves. He set up the hundreds of roses he had bought around the living room and then started making dinner. By the time he was ready for dishing up, he heard the rattle of keys in the door and he darted into the living room to greet Cece as she walked through the door. 

Her face was a picture. Roses covered every surface and her coffee table was covered with gifts. There were chocolates and two glasses of champagne. Behind the table Schmidt stood, beaming with pride over his handiwork. Cece’s face fell. 

‘What’s all this?’ she said confused. 

‘It’s our anniversary,’ Schmidt said, ‘six months. I mean I know we’re not technically a couple or anything but-’

‘We’re not a couple,’ she said angrily, throwing her purse down on the only surface that wasn’t adorned in rose petals. 

‘Well, I know but I thought-’ Schmidt started but Cece cut him off. 

‘You thought that you could do all this for what, a joke? What’s it called our bangaversary? Happy Sex Monthaversary?’

‘No, I mean those are really good names but Cece that’s not what I was doing here,’ Schmidt said, but Cece didn’t listen instead she stormed past him and into the bedroom closing the door with an almighty thud. Schmidt heard the turn of the lock and realised he was not welcome. He sighed and knocked on the door wondering what was wrong with her. 

‘Cece,’ he said. There was no answer, ‘Cecilia, what the hell is going on? What have I done to upset you? I thought you’d like this.’

‘We’re not a couple, Schmidt!’ she shouted through the door. Schmidt sighed. 

‘I know that! That’s what I was going to ask you! If you would have let me finish I was going to say Cecilia Parikh I know we’ve only been hooking up for six months. I know we’ve not done anything couply and I don’t even know if you want to be a couple. But, I love you. I’ve fallen in love with you and I want you to be my girlfriend. My stone-cold fox of a girlfriend. My beautiful Asian princess-’ 

‘-I get it, Schmidt,’ Cece said unlocking the door and opening it. Schmidt darted inside the bedroom before she could change her mind and sat down next to her on the bed. 

‘You do?’ he asked watching her as she played with her hands nervously. He clung to hope that she would feel the same. 

‘Yeah, and I get it. The past six months have been amazing but what if this is all it’s meant to be? What if we’re only right when we sleep together?’

‘How could you say that?’ Schmidt asked, ‘you’re the one that asks me to spend the night. You’re the one who calls me to come over and spoon you at 3 am. You’re the one-’

‘I know that but that’s not,’ Cece looked conflicted as she tried to get her point across. 

‘What that’s not couple stuff? Say what you want Cecilia but that is most certainly what couples do,’ he said with a smile. Cece looked up and caught his eye. 

‘What if we don’t work out? What if we label it and it all goes wrong? What will the guys say about it. Jess will freak and Nick won’t be happy,’ she started rambling making Schmidt sigh once more. 

‘What’s a man gotta do to convince you that none of that stuff matters?’ Schmidt said grabbing her chin between his finger and thumb and turning her head towards him. 

‘Cece. I love you. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to be the first person you see in the morning and the last person you see at night. I want to cuddle up with you on the sofa in the loft regardless of who’s home. I want to be your boyfriend. No matter what,’ he said with sincerity. Cece looked as if she were going to interject but he kept going, ‘no, no, let me say my piece. We already act like a couple putting a label on things isn’t going to change it and it’s not going to make it more real than it already is because even without a label I love you. And I’m pretty sure you love me too, even if you’re not my official girlfriend. And so what if it all goes wrong. We just have to promise that if it doesn’t work out we can’t let it ruin things. You’re still going to be Jess’ best friend. I’m still going to live at the loft.’

‘I guess,’ she said. 

‘And who cares what they think? Nick and Jess have more baggage than a cargo plane and the only person Winston is in a relationship is Ferguson. They can’t pass judgement on anyone.’

There was a silence for a moment before Cece finally looked at him and smiled, then she said, ‘you’re right. I guess seeing you go so out there scared me for a moment.’

‘Did you at least like the flowers?’ he chuckled and she nodded in response. 

‘I loved all of it. And something smells incredible!’ she said. 

‘Glad you think so. It’s almost ready,’ he said. Cece jumped up and started walking out of the room but Schmidt grabbed her hand and spun her back towards him where she landed smack against his chest. He peered down into her brown eyes taking in her beautiful face as she said, ‘what?’

‘You never answered my question,’ he said.

‘What question?’ she asked confused. 

‘Will you be my girlfriend?’ he asked earnestly. 

‘Yes,’ she said with a smile, ‘and you were right.’

‘Oh?’ 

‘Yeah, I do love you.’

‘I love you too,’ he said.


End file.
